MAY 2017

WOULD YOU EAT BUGS?

Insects are increasingly considered to be a potentially lucrative protein source that doesn’t cost the Earth. But are people ready to dine on bugs? Hear first-hand from the experts and start-ups trialling edible insects. Plus, you’ll get the opportunity to try some free samples of the latest insect treats.

FILM SCREENING: GENERATION RIGHT + Q&A

THU 4 MAY | 6-8PM | THE DIAMOND (LT1) | FREEIn association with SPERI

Margaret Thatcher promised to tackle rising crime and declining levels of law and order, yet during her period in office, crime continued to rise. Generation Right explores the role which the ideas central to Thatcherism had in shaping crime and responses to crime. The Q&A will feature Andy Beckett, Andrew Gamble, Ruth Lister, David Blunkett and Stephen Farrall.

WHY DO WE NEED HOSPITALS?

The government has proposed further cuts to hospital bed numbers, hijacking a long-standing argument that hospitals eat up resources which could be used to reduce the need for in-patient care. Hear from the Director of Public Health for Stockport and local speakers who will address the changing role of large hospitals.

BURIED SUNSHINE

An evening of political theatre and song to raise money for the Sheffield Anarchist Bookfair and Sheffield Climate Alliance. The evening centres around the performance of ‘Buried Sunshine’, a solo theatre production of four monologues woven together to tell a dramatic tale of coal, courage and corporate criminals in Colombia.

LGBT: SOLIDARITY AND INTERSECTIONALITY Q&A

MON 8 MAY | 6-7:30PM | SU AUDITORIUM | FREE

Join us for an evening of discussion exploring the importance of solidarity and intersectionality in the LGBT+ movement, with Mike Jackson and Dave Lewis, renowned gay rights activists and founding members of Lesbian and Gays Support the Miners, and Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, Executive Director of UK Black Pride.

MAKE YOUR MARK

Make your Mark is the largest national youth consultation of its kind. Young people across the country vote on one of ten issues presented by Youth Parliament. We would like to invite young people in Sheffield to have a say and debate and discuss these issues.

WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE MY CITY A BETTER PLACE?

TUE 9 MAY | 6:30-8PM | ROCO | FREEIn association with The University of Sheffield

Small acts can make a signifi cant difference. But is it really possible for citizens to directly help make their city a better place? Join a discussion about what needs to be done to make cities fairer and more dynamic with lead discussions from panellists engaged with the idea of active citizenship.

THE HOME TRUTH

Has privatisation of asylum housing worked? Should housing for the most vulnerable in society be run by a security company? Should asylum housing be traded like a commodity? At ASSIST our clients have no access to publicly funded housing, we explore the impact this has on them and the city.

BREXIT AND THE ENVIRONMENT: AN OPPORTUNITY OR A THREAT?

The EU has championed environmental causes, but it hasn’t been perfect. Does increased sovereignty post-Brexit create a threat or an opportunity, and how could it help us achieve environmental goals? Join politicians, policy-makers and EU law experts to discuss whether the UK environment will be better off after Brexit.

FILM SCREENING: I, DANIEL BLAKE

Not just a legendary club and venue, The Leadmill are now hosting a variety of fi lm screenings under the Leadmill Cinematic banner. Limited free entry tickets available for this screening of I, Daniel Blake.

TAX DODGER'S GUIDE TO FARGATE

The Tax Dodger’s Guide to Fargate is back with new tips on how to dodge tax like the big boys. Join Dodge & Co on a walking tour of Sheffi eld’s high street. New for 2017: Dodge & Co now advise on dodging so much more than taxes! Say goodbye to domestic laws, environmental regulations and nosy police investigation! No ticket needed - just meet on Cathedral forecourt at 1pm. @DodgeAndCo

SHIFT: SUSTAINABLE HOUSING INVESTMENT AND FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES

Housing is one of modern society’s pressure points and there are many challenges in building new homes. Where will the money come from? What are the effects of technology? What is the environmental cost and does it matter? Hear answers from energy experts, policymakers and social housing providers.

WORD LIFE OPEN MIC

TUE 16 MAY | 7-10:30PM | DINA | PAY WHAT YOU DECIDE

Wordlife is one of the leading literature organisations in the North. Join us for a politics-themed literature event as part of the Festival of Debate alongside featured performers. Want to share some of your poems or prose on political issues? Email joe@wordlife.co.uk. Pay what you decide on the door.

FILM SCREENING: LET GO AND LOVE

Oscar-nominated director Josh Fox (Gasland) continues in his deeply personal style, investigating climate change. The film acknowledges that it may be too late to stop some of the worst consequences and asks, what is it that climate change can’t destroy? What is so deep within us that no calamity can take it away?

DEMOCRACY: WHAT IS IT AND DO WE WANT IT?

Various groups have claimed to be the champions of democracy, ‘rule by the people’. Angie Hobbs asks who are ‘the people’, what really constitutes ‘rule’ by the people, and how does democracy differ from demagoguery? She argues that democracy is genuinely under threat, and why, for all its faults, it is nevertheless vital to preserve it.

GENDER & POVERTY

THU 18 MAY | 7-9PM | QUAKER MEETING HOUSE | PAY WHAT YOU CANIn association with the Women’s Equality Party

Panel discussion with Sophie Walker, leader of the Women’s Equality Party and guest speakers, looking at women’s poverty in Sheffield and the UK. Is there gender bias in the way traditional economic thinking addresses poverty? Will business development plans be ‘more of the same’ or a lasting solution to poverty? Excess funds will be donated to charities supporting women in poverty.

FILM SCREENING: BORN IN FLAMES + SKYPE Q&A WITH DIRECTOR LIZZIE BORDEN

Described as a ‘documentary-style feminist science fiction’, Lizzie Borden’s iconic film Born in Flames explores racism, classism and sexism with a US socialist democracy as its setting. Recently restored by Anthology Film Archives, this landmark picture is a key piece of female filmmaking. A Skype Q&A with director Lizzie Borden will follow the screening.

POETRY AND THE CITY

Two Sheffield poets, Pete Green and Ben Dorey, read new work about our city. Sheffield Almanac (Green) and Seven Hills (Dorey) deal with some of the key issues that the city faces, in cultural and creative regeneration, its internationalism, geography and economy. They discuss these and more with School of English researcher Dr Richard Steadman-Jones.

SHEFFIELD ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR

SAT 20 MAY | 10AM-6PM | SHOWROOM WORKSTATION | FREE

An introduction to the ideas and practice of anarchism and the libertarian left. Books, pamphlets, zines, t-shirts and more, from radical booksellers, independent publishers, political groups and campaigns. Also film screenings and workshops, a chance to participate in discussions, information exchanges and meetings on practical aspects of organising co-operative alternatives to the existing profit-driven system.

PECHAKUCHA SHEFFIELD VOL #24: 'BRITISH?'

People speak of ‘National Pride’, of Britain being ‘Great’ again… They argue over who is and isn’t, who belongs and those who apparently do not, but what does it actually mean ‘to be British’? Join PechaKucha for an inspiring and entertaining evening of 20x20 talks, video shorts and live music, all exploring the show’s theme.

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL LATER IN THE YEAR. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE CAUSED.

THE SILENT KILLER: AIR POLLUTION Q&A

Our expert panel - including Prof. Jeremy Wight (Sheffield's Former Director of Public Health) - Jane Thomas (former senior campaigner with Friends of the Earth UK), Natasha Askaroff (Healthy Planet) and Sarah MacFadyen (British Lung Foundation) - discuss the health risks of air pollution, which is estimated to lead to the premature deaths of 500 people in Sheffield every year, and calculated to cause £160 million in lost working days in the city due to illness. Come along and ask your questions about this invisible threat.

RUPERT SHELDRAKE + Q&A: THE SCIENCE DELUSION

TUE 23 MAY | 6:30-8PM | QUAKER MEETING HOUSE | £8/£7

‘The science delusion’ is the belief that science already understands the nature of reality, in principle. The fundamental questions are answered, leaving only the details to be filled in. The impressive achievements of science seemed to support this confident attitude. But recent research has revealed unexpected problems at the heart of physics, cosmology, biology, medicine and psychology. Rupert Sheldrake argues that the sciences are being constricted by assumptions that have hardened into dogmas.

IS BALANCE OUT OF DATE? A SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR JOURNALISM

WED 24 MAY | 6:30-7:30PM | COUNCIL ROOM, FIRTH COURT | FREEIn association with The University of Sheffield

William Horsley, International Director for the Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM) at the University of Sheffield, provokes the question: Is balance out of date? The open Internet age spells information overload and the demise of old media. The tenets of journalism - balance and objectivity - risk being swept away too. Will new ways be found to hold power to account? Or are we heading back towards information fortresses?

IS THERE A NEED FOR UTOPIAN THINKING TODAY?

THU 25 MAY | 6:30-8:30PM | QUAKER MEETING HOUSE | FREE

Faced with often overwhelming social, political and personal challenges, can we imagine a better world and a path to get there? Is ‘utopia’ just wishful thinking, or a dangerous road to dictatorship, or can it play a positive, animating role? An open discussion drawing on your experiences, campaigns and imagination.

IDENTITY & WHERE WE BELONG

Brexit, Trump & the rise of European Nationalism has meant we now look differently at our identity than we did twelve months ago. This event aims to explore the fluidity of identity in a contemporary world where individuals are potentially left rootless and bereft of any predictable frames of reference. Featuring a panel including Dr Andy Mycock (University of Huddersfield), Pennie Raven (community entrepreneur & activist), Cllr Magid Magid (Green Party Councillor) and Deborah Egan OBE (Director of DINA).

FILM SCREENING: WE ARE MANY

We Are Many tells for the first time the remarkable story of the biggest protest in history and how it changed the world, followed by short 1-minute pitches from individuals and groups with opportunities to get involved in local campaigns, plus delicious food served on a pay-as-you-feel basis and a licensed bar. Join us!

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE CAUSED. FULL REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED SOON.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

FRI 26-SUN 28 MAY | 4-6PM | WINTER GARDEN | FREE

Food For Thought is a thought and action provoking programme of short talks and workshops as part of the Sheffield Food Festival exploring the issues, challenges and partnership opportunities to improve the health, equality, economy and sustainability of all things food and drink in Sheffield. Come along, be inspired and get involved!

PROFESSOR DAVID NUTT + Q&A

A former government advisor on drug policy, Prof. David Nutt specialises in research exploring the potential medicinal uses of drugs including LSD, MDMA and psilocybin. Prof. Nutt will talk about the barriers to researching controlled substances in the UK and their untapped potential for treating depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

HOUSING FOR ALL? PROSPECTS FOR A NATIONAL MOVEMENT

A private rented sector with high rents and poor conditions, the demolition of public housing in cities like London and a lack of imagination around resolving economic and housing conditions in the North tells us something needs to be done about UK housing. This event is an opportunity to hear ideas about how public housing might offer a way forward.